LEADING THROUGH COLLAPSE

Budapest 4-7 August 2025

with Jem Bendell and Katie Carr

Develop Strategic Leadership for an Uncertain Future

Climate disruption and societal unraveling drive an urgent need for leaders who are capable of guiding with insight, care and moral imagination. In this unique in-person course, you will cultivate the inner resources and practical skills to lead with courage and compassion through the uncertainty ahead. Jem and Katie rarely teach this course in person, so take this opportunity to dive deep into a journey of counter-cultural leadership, unlearning harmful conditioning, and strategic communication for transformational change.

Through a journey of interactive learning, you will:

Awaken your intuition and access multiple intelligences beyond the intellectual
Deepen your self-awareness to lead from radical freedom and integrity
Learn to navigate complexity and turbulence with emotional resilience
Develop strategic communication tools to inspire change in a non-violent way
Learn to build authentic relationships through active listening and deep relating
Join a supportive community of peers for ongoing support, inspiration and solidarity.

Do you feel called to lead with courage and compassion in the face of climate disruption? Join this groundbreaking course to develop strategic leadership and communication capabilities for an uncertain future.

Meet your facilitators

Professor Jem Bendell

Founder of the Deep Adaptation movement and Scholar’s Warning initiative, Jem is an acclaimed thought leader on climate disruption and strategic leadership. His viral Deep Adaptation paper has reached millions and helped inspire Extinction Rebellion. Emeritus Professor of Sustainability Leadership with the University of Cumbria, UK, he works as a researcher, educator and advisor on social and organisational change, with over 25 years experience in sustainable development initiatives in over 20 countries. http://www.jembendell.com

Katie Carr

A skilled facilitator and coach, Katie brings over 20 years of experience guiding groups through transformative learning. Instrumental in developing the theory and practice that became Deep Adaptation facilitation, her approach integrates trauma awareness, critical pedagogy, embodied methods and more. Katie has accompanied many people and groups through their journeys of learning and unlearning in response to the realities of the climate crisis, and now works mainly with individuals.

“This course has completely opened my eyes to the leadership structures around me, and the way I have spent my life responding to them. It has also helped me better understand how we have managed to exploit the earth's resources and people to build those structures. I just wish this was compulsory learning for everyone who sees themselves as a leader”

"This course has a profound influence on my life and the way I'm looking at myself, my actions, my use of language and the way I'm developing the projects I facilitate."

"A course that challenges existing narratives about what it is to lead and encourages us to unlearn convention wisdom that might be unhelpful (even harmful) in the uncertain times to come"

"The mix of gentle, reflective and meditative practices, joyful play, hard academia and questioning debate and conversation allowed me to engage with each element in a different way, and preventing me from becoming weary mentally or emotionally from too much of one thing."

A profoundly connective and validating experience for those who see clearly in times of confusion and despair.Jem and Katie have masterfully crafted an experience that both lays the intellectual framework for navigating collapse communication while also fostering a culture of shared authenticity and vulnerability. I would enroll in a semester-long version of this course if it were offered."

“It has helped me further develop my skills and emotional awareness of the response I want to make as a contribution to climate action in the future.”

What are people saying?

Logistics

What?

This 4 day course is interdisciplinary and experiential. It artfully combines social theory, tools for strategic communication, along with relational practices and embodied learning, aiming to create an opportunity for you to examine the nature of leadership for social change.

There will be whole group seminars with individual reflection, small group discussions, and pair work. You'll collaborate and reflect with an intimate cohort of peers throughout the week.

There will also be ~10 hours of pre-course self-led activity, with videos, reading, and writing activities beginning 30 days before commencement. Full participation is expected for all components.

Join us in Hungary August 2025

When? 4th-7th August 2025. 9am - 6pm each day.

Where? Budapest Hungary (venue to be confirmed)

How can I apply?

PRICE:

Hungary, Budapest - August 2025

£600 GBP / €720

Includes tuition, lunch each day, and one evening meal.

We don't want cost to prohibit anyone from participating. Reductions are available for those on low income, and for people leading on deep adaptation in the most affected communities, without significant funding. eg engaging young people on eco-anxiety; grassroots community resilience especially in underprivileged areas; faith communities. Contact us to apply.

APPLY:

Places are limited to 24 participants. We expect these courses to fill, so apply early to guarantee your place.

You will be notified of your place within 2 weeks of submitting your application, and you'll receive confirmation once the course fee has been paid.

Apply now

Unsure whether this course is for you? You can see a video of Jem Bendell explaining his approach to the global situation here and see an interview by Katie Carr here. Listen to past participants share their experiences in this video.